Monday, July 20, 2009

MISI - a cool marketplace to buy & sell crafts

I've been searching around the net for marketplaces where I can sell handmade crafts and some have been written in my previous entry on how to make money from your hand made crafts. This evening I found another cool site to market which is MISI!!

It's a UK based website where crafters can sell their products at 20p per listing (that's about RM1.20) and sale commissions are just 3%! MISI offers you a free-for-life webshop, a crafters blog, a free domain ie http://yourshop.misi.me.uk and friendly support at the forums.

Oh, and did I tell you that you get 5 months listing for your items (unless your item sells first of course).

I've been selling on eBay for quite sometime but this is really a good deal! The best part is MISI trades in, you guessed it, Great Britain Pounds. I can already make big bucks selling cards at GBP2.00 per piece at MISI.

For those buyers out there, I can tell you that the crafters selling in MISI are really good. Their products are beautifully made, unique and worth every penny spent. You can tell that they were made with love. Some of the crafters that I met in the forums are real working at home moms (WAHM) making a living by just selling their handmade crafts. Gee, did that sounded like something I WOULD want to be??

Although its main concept is for crafters to market handmade gifts for fathers, mothers, babies teachers and everyone, MISI als sells crafting supplies, which I would recommend you to buy from a local source as the items are a bit expensive (ouch).

I am yet to open an account at MISI (hehehe) but thats going to be on my To Do List this week besides looking for more materials to include in this cobwebbed blog :p

In the mean time, I'm trying to get these items to be listed in eBay but couldn't since these past 2 days. System glitch I pressume. Its a bulk of 2000++ pieces of paper ebellishments hand punched using die cuts on 80gms paper, acid and ligin free. There are 17 shapes including teddy bears, dolphin, palm tree, florals, sun, leaves, bunch of farm animals, you name it. 10 colours for all shapes. Their size range from 3/8" to 5/8" Suitable for scrapbooking, card making an craft projects.
This is one of my effort to shorten the payback period for those don't-come-very-cheap die punches that Oh-I-can't-resist-buying-in-each-visit to Popular Bookstore in Mesra Mall, besides making scrapbooking and cards embellishments from them.
Should I sell these at MISI also? hmm...
Anyone interested, please drop me a line. They are such a good deal. RM10 inclusive postage costs (thats 1/2 sen per piece!). I do entertain special requests: single coloured. single shapes etc. Let me know.
Tomorrow's a working day after a long weekend. Good night everyone.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

New listings at eBay

I've posted new items listing in eBay. Have a look and dont forget to bid if you're interested. Really marked down prices :)

Colostrum powder, facial scrubs body SPA set, foot SPA sets, hair care, perfumes and handbags.

Check them out at:
http://shop.ebay.com.my/merchant/therina*arts_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_ipgZ25

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

How To Make Money Selling Crafts

You Can Get Real Money from Homemade Items


People always loved homemade items. They value the love, time and care that went into a one of a kind creation since many of them dont have that much time to create things for themselves anymore.


Have a good look at your homemade craft. Are they of quality? If you have been spinning for a period of a few weeks then selling your handspun fiber is not going to be very lucrative, however if you make beautiful hand made papers using those fibers, and have made them long enough to do it well and consistently, you may have a product people would want to buy.


Are you willing to make that same item again after numerous times with the same consistency and quality? Are you good at deadlines? Do you receive criticisms well? While you may enjoy knitting as a hobby or free time activity, how are you going to feel when your needles are flying and you have hours more knitting works in front of you?


How To Charge


You can't make money if you don't charge enough. So how to make money selling crafts? First, take a look at your competitors. How much are they charging for the same item that you made? You should be able to sell yours at a profit for a similar or lower price. Do a rough calculation of how much time, electricity, materials and other incidental costs that were required to produce your craft and then price the item accordingly. Do some research on the web to see what that item is selling for across the Internet. Carefully look at the pictures of items like yours and be sure you are offering a product that is as good as or superior to them.


Craft and shopping Malls


One way to market your product is to rent a booth or a pushcart at a craft mall. Pushcarts rent for about RM500.00 (USD140) a month in a shopping mall at my area, while others offer much lower rents but take some percentage off your monthly earnings.

As booths are fairly small, this is beneficial in that you get to know your customers personally when they come to have a look or buy your items. You can walk through the mall and see what is selling and what is not, you can talk to people and they can talk to you. That brings a personal touch to your item, it helps your customer to value your product if they know the face behind the product.


Different craft and shopping malls have different rules. Sometimes the seller has to invest long hours per week at the booths. Sometimes there is a contract involved. Be sure that you visit as many potential marketplaces as possible and decide on the best one for you. Read the fine print in the contract very well and make sure you understand everything that you sign.


In Home Parties


I knew a friend who made glass beads costume jewelleries and she made them really well. She began making them in different patterns and designs and brought over to a party at a friend's place. She almost sold out the first night and came home with custom orders to fill.


Tupperware does not hold the copyright to home (tupperware) parties! If you have a product that is easily transported and that would work well in a party type setting, and if you are the outgoing type then a home party may be the way to go. Plan on taking several things and then taking orders for items you sell out of. Be sure to fill the orders promptly!


Home parties should be fun, so plan some prizes and free give aways. Try to book the next party with the attendees while you are there. Offer them special hostess gifts such as handmade books, candles or a custom made product when their friends who attended their party orders or buys from you.


Making Money Online

How to make money selling crafts without having to leave the house? If you dont prefer selling and marketing your items outside the home, there are still many ways to sell your crafts.


eBay is more often than not is the place people think of first when they think of selling an item. You post your product at a price and set the auction for the number of days you want it to go. Or you could go with a fixed price (Buy-It-Now) option if you want to prevent your item to be under-priced. At the end if your item sells eBay will take a small percentage. Check if your items are popular in specific local eBay sites to maximize your turnover. Full listing of various countrys' eBay sites at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBay


etsy is a huge online craft mall. With etsy, you sign up for free, open up your own free store and sell from your store. There is no auction. However, listing an item costs 20 cents and when you sell it there is a 3.5% fee. You are allowed to include five images for each item and listings stay up for four months

Watch a crafter describe her etsy experience here

CraftMall is another site similar to etsy. The prices are, however, based on a monthly fee with no percentage taken from your sales. There isn't a contract or time commitment and you are not required to meet a minimum amount of sales.


Lily's Country Crafts Mall charges $10.00 a month for you to list your crafts with them.

You can also advertise on sites such as your local Craigslist

You can also set up your own website with your very own domain name. You could get good service with cheap web hostings at http://www.hostgator.com/ while visit GoDaddy.com or NameCheap.com for affordable domain names. If you have a good product and a good understanding of search engine optimization then this is probably the best way for you.

Insptred from http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Make-Money-Selling-Crafts

Friday, June 26, 2009

Please ORDER here!

We've added a new feature to this blog for ease of ordering or asking questions.

Just fill the form at the bottom of this page and you'll receive a reply from us within 24 hours. Thanks for all who have filled up the form and support us!

To view our products, go to:

Cloth diapers murah
Baby bibs and leggings

Sunday, May 24, 2009

How to choose the best cloth diaper for your baby

So you have decided to start cloth diapering your baby/toddlers. Or you're still unsure. It's a big decision. You've heard and read a lot about baby cloth diapers in the internet and boy there are A LOT of choices out there. I have to admit it's very overwhelming. I myself took almost 2 months to actually decide and buy my first few sets. They dont come in cheap and I thought delaying the decision would not effect anything. Well, I was totally wrong.

1. It's worth the investment

The thing about cloth diapers is that the earlier you start, the MORE you save.Cloth diapers are nothing like disposable diapers such as Pampers, Huggies, Mami Poko, Dryperz just to name a few.You will experience a quite constant and sometimes exponentially increasing expenditure that you have to spend each month with disposables. Definitely as your baby grows, the number of diapers per pack will decrease, and the frequency of you going to the supermarket grabbing those diapers on sale will increase too. For expecting first time mothers out there, XL diapers are twice/trice as expensive as S sizes, and it doesnt take that long for your baby to grow into an XL!

I have a friend who has a 3 month old, a 1 1/2, and a 3 year old, all on disposable diapers. Her monthly expenditure for diapers alone is RM450/month. Wouldnt it be better to spend that amount on the children's education fund, instead of diapers that will soon filled with poo and gets thrown into the bin? And she's still couldnt decide whether to switch to cloth diapers or not!
Coming back to cloth diapers, the earlier you start, the more you save. Yes, it may cost up to RM50+ per piece for local brands (KS, KenapaClothDiaper, Anggerik etc), and RM100+ for imported brands (Kissaluvs, Bumgenius, Kushies etc), but you know which one to choose, right? The quality is definitely the same.
Say you invest 20 cloth diapers for the first time, since the birth of your baby. So RM50 x 20 = RM1000. Your newborn wears diapers up to 2 years, so its approximately RM42/month. I started when my baby was 1 year old, so my average expense is RM83 per month. Well, not so bad considering when on disposables, she needs RM45 x 2 bags per month.

When you're on disposables, you spend RM40-100 per month!

Do the calculations for 2 year's expenditure.
Multiply that with the number of children that you plan to have.

Cloth diapers are wearable until they shred to pieces, I guess with daily washings and proper care, they can last you for 2-3 children.
2. It's okay to be wet
Advertisers kept on preaching that your baby's sleep will be disturbed when they feel wet, and their learnings during the day will disappear soon as they woke up in the middle of the night.
Did you actually believe that?

The truth is, babies dont care if they wet their pants. They can sleep all night, drenched in their pee. Go try it.

3. No more nappy rash creams

So they designed disposable diapers that contains all the gels and chemicals in the world that will keep your baby's bum dry and eliminates odour. The more wettings they can hold, the stronger the chemicals are. Cheaper, non-branded disposables are also high in dangerous chemical contents because the 'safer' chemicals are more expensive. And you wear those on your babies. Directly, to their genitals.For 3 to 6 hours. And you wonder why rash suddenly appear on their bums.

Nappy rash do not appear because of wetness, they appear because your baby's sensitive and delicate skin is exposed to those chemicals. And the design itself allows parents not to change nappies until the gels are totally drenched, causing the more exposure time to the chemicals.
4. Be an eco-friendly person, just this once, please!

Obviously disposables cant bio-degrade for 100 years. Since each household throws a pail of diapers a day, soon we will be living on piles of poo.
5. Dont trade ease with your baby's comfort.
Try wearing paper and plastic panties for a day. Do not open them when you pee. You go to work, socialize and sleep in them. What will you feel? Then ask your baby about it. They'll know how uncomfortable and unnatural paper and plastic feels over cloth.
You cant trade your baby's comfort for your own benefit. Handling and cleaning cloth diapers are easier than you think. You just throw the poo into the toilet bowl, flush, rinse and pop the diaper in the washing machine (depending on the type that you have, some brands dont advice washing in the machine like Nice Kids Cloth diapers). Pocket cloth diapers are the easiest to dry as they come in seperate pieces (cloth diaper cover and inserts/soaker), while all in ones (AIO) take longer time to dry.

How to choose the best cloth diapers out there?
Sellers/resellers will offer you astounding packages and prices that will make you think "What's the difference with the other cloth diapers? Why are they cheaper/more expensive?"

Some tips that I used while choosing my first set:
1. All-in-ones, pocket cloth diapers, non-pocket

You need to decide first which one of these that you prefer. Refer table below for a birdseye view for each of the cloth diaper types:


After trying each one of these, I personally like pocket diapers due to its flexibility and they always come in one sizes.
Pocket cloth diaper close-up

2. One size or single size


One size allow size adjustments from S to XL (velcro type)

One size diapers are diapers which their size can be adjusted as your baby grows. Now, that's the true essence of cost savings! They cater babies from birth till 13kg so as your baby increase in size/weight, you dont have to buy any other diapers to suit your baby needs.

Single size diapers on the other hand are, well, single sized. You either buy S, M, L or XLs. And you have to buy larger sizes as your baby grows.

3. Velcro and snap buttons closure


Example of snap button closure


Snap button closures are usually less expensive than velcro ones, else, the price would be quite similar. Velcros are more flexible in terms of resizing the tightness of the cloth diapers around your baby's waist. Snap buttons only offer you 2-3 options, so you couldnt actually get the best snug fit for your baby.

Velcros are also easier for toddlers to open the cloth diapers themselves for early potty training, wherease snap buttons are not so friendly with little fingers.Not to mention if you have a wigly toddler who doesnt like to be dressed, velcros ensure a quick and hassle free clothing time for your children.

4. Inserts




Depending on the type of cloth diapers you choose, they come with different types of soakers or inserts. The common types are 2-layered or 3 layered microfiber inserts. 3 layers are more absorbent for the most apparent reasons. Comparing to non-microfiber inserts, they are much more absorbent and are normally sold with pocket diapers. Due to their very absorbent nature, do not wear them directly under your baby's bums as they will dehydrate the skin. Insert them properly inside the stay-dry inner liner of the pocket for maximum absorbency.

Non-pocket diapers inserts are placed directly under your baby's bums because they dont have pockets :p

All-in-ones do not have a diaper cover and insert concept as they are all sewn together. However, they are quite difficult to be cleaned effectively and take longer time to dry. Cover-insert diapers are easier to be washed and dried as they can be separated.

5. Price


When dealing with cloth diaper packages sale (normally 3 pieces, 6 pieces, 9 pieces and 12 pieces), please consider these after looking at their prices:


a) Have they included postage cost?

b) How many inserts do they include? Are they selling just the covers? Only 1 insert included per cover? 2 or 3 layered microfiber?

Take note, when sold separately, 2 layer microfiber insert cost RM10-12, 3 layer microfiber insert cost RM12-16 and non-microfiber inserts cost RM4-8

c) Are they single sized or one sized?

d) Do they have snap button or velcro closures?
e) Do they have warranty?


You would want to go with free shipping or price inclusive of shipping costs, the lowest price per diaper sets, with the most numbers of inserts (1 insert per cover is not enough. Go ask the experienced ones), one-sized and velcro closure diapers. A 1 year warranty offer would be great too!


I'm trying not to be biased coz I do sell cloth diapers here, but just summarizing a few pointers of what you should know before making that huge step to fully cloth diapering your baby.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Promosi Cloth Diapers!!

OK. So kat sini saya nak promo CD (cloth diapers) pulak. Sekarang anak saya dah fully CD. Alhamdulillah, kulit dia sesuai dengan pemakaian CD, sehinggakan kalau pergi travel dan pakai DD (Disposable diapers) kulit jadi ruam pulak.



Semua harga yang tertera adalah termasuk kos penghantaran. FREE SHIPPING la kiranya. Insyallah saya gunakan Parcel daftar. Pos Laju mahal pulak. Tetapi kalau request jugak, no problem, tambah duit sket. Sabah & Sarawak pon tambah RM3 lagi ek.

Brand yang saya bawa ialah One Size KS Cloth Diapers. Sesuai untuk anak dari lahir hingga 13kg sebab boleh adjust size dia. Detail boleh tengok di sini. Sebarang tempahan atau soalan, sila isikan borang di bawah page ini. Pembayaran melalui bank-in ke akaun CIMB atau Maybank. Sila bayar sebelum 3 hari selepas confirm tempahan.



Warna-warna yang ada seperti di atas: Lime Green, Lemon Yellow, Minnie Pink dan Twilight Blue. Ada beberapa pakej istimewa yang telah disediakan untuk tuan2/ puan2.





Pakej #1 - Jom Cuba Satu Dulu (warna yang available sekarang: New stocks in! All colours avilable!)


Khas untuk ibu bapa yang masih tidak pasti keserasian kulit anak anda dengan CD, atau mahu cuba-cuba dahulu.



1 CD + 2 microfiber inserts = RM55.90 RM52



Pakej #2 - Cuba-cuba Siang



Anda mahu cuba untuk pemakaian sepanjang siang hari, 3 keping CD sudah memadai.



3 CD + 6 microfiber inserts = RM155.00 RM135



Pakej #3 - Cuba-cuba Siang & Malam



Penggunaan sepenuhnya untuk bekalan sehari suntuk. Untuk pemakaian malam, digalakkan menggunakan 3 microfiber insert untuk mengelakkan kebocoran.



6 CD + 13 microfiber insert = RM326.90 RM270



Pakej #4 - Daily Starter Pack



Cuci dan guna lagi untuk esok.



9 CD + 19 microfiber insert = RM481.90 RM390

Pakej #5 - I'm Commited!

12 CD + 26 microfiber inserts = RM653.80 RM520

Nota Kaki: Recommendation di atas adalah untuk anak berumur setahun++. Untuk bayi kurang 12 bulan, penggunaan sehari boleh mencecah 12 keping CD. Jika anda benar-benar mahu komited demi kesihatan anak anda dan mengalami anjakan paradigma memulihara alam sekitar dari pencemaran lampin pakai buang yang tidak boleh lupus, hubungi kami untuk mendapat special-special price yang teramat special :)

Nota tangan: Kami menyediakan warranty SETAHUN untuk sebarang pembelian cloth diapers kami. Klik sini untuk terma dan syarat

Selain itu, boleh jenguk-jenguk baby bibs dan legging kami di sini. Design comel dan harga murah!

Jangan lupa, order di sini

Alang-alang dah sampai sini, apa kata VOTE untuk design nursing wear saya dengan menulis VOTE! di comments. Jangan segan2, tulis aje :)

Mari Kita Cuba Berniaga - Baby bibs and leggings

Ini adalah cubaan pertama saya berniaga kut sini. Marilah tengok-tengok kut berminat. Ceh perasan macam orang datang je sini. kehkeh

Semua harga yang tertera adalah termasuk kos penghantaran. FREE SHIPPING la kiranya. Insyallah saya gunakan pos daftar. Pos Laju mahal pulak, harga dekat sama dengan harga barang. Tetapi kalau request jugak, no problem, tambah duit sket. Sabah & Sarawak pon tambah RM3 lagi ek.

So promosi harini adalah barangan bermutu Carter's dan Miki House yang comel lagi murah. Sebarang tempahan, sila isi borang di bawah page ini atau klik di sini. Pembayaran melalui bank-in ke akaun CIMB atau Maybank. Sila bayar sebelum 3 hari selepas confirm tempahan, jika tidak, saya buka untuk tempahan orang lain yek :)

Setiap corak adalah eksklusif (satu corak, satu unit sahaja). Jadi kalau dah minat tu, tempah dan bayar ajelah. Corak yang sama boleh didapati di tempat-tempat jualan yang lain (eBay, website2, forum2 & Blog Shop mommy yang lain) tetapi harga + shipping saya paling murah ya (wink* wink*)

PROMOSI!! Beli 3 barang, diskaun 10% wawawau!!

CARTER'S BABY BIBS - RM13.90 RM9.90 sahaja!!

Free/one size. Sesuai dipakai waktu makan dan menenen. 3 lapisan kalis air dan mudah di cuci. Sulaman dan applique menawan. Velcro closure.

Carter's baby bibs Daddy's Little All Star, baseball design, biru + merah

Carter's baby bibs Handsome, teddy bear design, blue stripes

Carter's baby bibs Daddy's Little Sport, sports design, biru + navy blue

Carter's baby bibs I Love Hugs, wordings applique, ungu

Carter's baby bibs Sweetheart, hearts design, ungu


Carter's baby bibs Butterfly Kisses, butterfly design, ungu

Carter's baby bibs Little Firecracker, stars design, biru + merah +putih

Carter's baby bibs Hug Me, animals & wording applique, kuning

Carter's baby bibs Ribbit, velvet frog design, putih with ribbit pattern at background

Carter's baby bibs I Love Grandma (utk menambat hati ibu mertua :), wordings applique, putih + hijau SOLD to ALIN

MIKI HOUSE BABY LEGGINGS - RM18 RM13 sahaja!!




Untuk 0-6 tahun. 30cm x 7cm stretchable.

Untuk anak-anak yang merangkak dan baru belajar berjalan. Dipakaikan di kaki atau tangan untuk melindungi yang tersayang daripada kesejukan.

(Dari kiri ke kanan): Light yellow brown bear, Yellow black stripey, White polka dots.

Design lain akan datang tidak lama lagi. Tapi harga sama saya tak janji :D

Alang-alang dah sampai sini, apa kata VOTE untuk design nursing wear saya dengan menulis VOTE! di comments atau click VOTE 4 ME! logo kat bawah. Jangan segan2, tulis aje :)


MSK-Chantek2

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Business Tip 1: Build Your Pipeline

In my student years, I was a member of a reknown Network Marketing company and was an active one. Everyday I made a commitment to introduce minimum of 1 person to the business. On weekends, I'll drive 40kms with friends to town to listen to presentations. On holidays, I spend money that I have so little of to attend weekend seminars in KL. Objections and rejections are a norm. Friends around me ask why do I tire myself enduring these hardships and doing these promoting and marketing things while I can just stay at my room/home studying or lepaking. I'll said that (among other good reasons) I'm preparing myself. I want to build my pipeline.

And now, friends still saw me doing part time businesses here and there while wondering whether the 4 figure income from the day job is not enough to pay for my monthly bills.

Well, as I said in my earlier posting, they are more than enough!

I had read the book Parable of the Pipelines by Burke Hedges a couple of years back. To watch the simplified story go to this site. It's about job security vs financial freedom.
Everyone can work hard (carrying buckets of water day in, day out) on a day job, earn good money, receive good benefits. They live and breathe their work. Every month of work, they'll get paid. However, if suddenly you cant work anymore, you fall sick, you get old, you're out of energy that caused you unable to go out of your home and go to work, will you still get paid?
Lots of people don't want to build a pipeline, a steady stream of water (money) that will flow while they eat, sleep and bathe. Steady enough for them to live well off even after they retire, fall sick, get old or even out of energy. They can, but they dont want to. The journey is definitely harder, you invest so much time, money and energy to it that some may think whether its worth the hardship. But I believe that the reapings are so bountiful and valuable. Not having to go to work, but you still get paid. Spending all your time with your family, cooking, travelling, doing all the things that you couldnt do because you were working. The hardships today will pay you tomorrow.

P/S: don't forget to make me the winner for MSK & Chantek-Chantek: Breastfeeding Desire competition by VOTING for me.It's the first time I'm entering a competition.

If you like my design/aspirations, type VOTE! in the comments. Your votes are highly appreciated! ngiaa~~


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